Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 525

The kitchen fell silent.

Feeling a bit awkward, Xu Xiuwen rubbed his nose and said, “I didn’t think it through. Once the mall opens, I’ll take you to buy some. For now… Auntie, you should just wear this first. It might be a little small, but there’s no other choice.”

Liu Ruo knew he was right, so she nodded, turned back to her room, and put on the underwear.

When she returned to the kitchen, Xu Xiuwen was already preparing to cook.

Seeing her come in, he led her around, introducing the functions of each kitchen appliance.

Liu Ruo was very smart. She grasped everything quickly and only needed to be taught once.

After breakfast, Xu Xiuwen took Liu Ruo to the nearest mall for shopping.

Having just left the countryside and arrived in the big city, Liu Ruo felt a little overwhelmed.

The city’s bustling atmosphere was unfamiliar to her. The only thing that made her feel at ease was staying close to Xu Xiuwen, so she followed him closely, never straying far.

Since she had run away without bringing anything, she needed to buy everything from head to toe.

Xu Xiuwen led Liu Ruo into a women’s clothing store.

As soon as they entered, a saleswoman warmly greeted them.

She recommended many outfits to Liu Ruo.

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t in a hurry, so he let Liu Ruo try on each one.

He had always known that Liu Ruo was beautiful and elegant.

That unique air of melancholy around her made her especially captivating.

But when Liu Ruo changed into a well-fitted dress and stood before him, Xu Xiuwen was still slightly stunned.

She wore a blue floral dress.

It accentuated her figure and added a touch of mature femininity, making her look even more graceful.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t hold back, immediately giving her a thumbs-up and repeatedly praising her.

Liu Ruo felt a little embarrassed.

She wasn’t used to such direct compliments, especially from someone younger than her.

She gently shook her head and said, “It’s not that good… Xiao Xu, you’re exaggerating.”

Before Xu Xiuwen could say more, the saleswoman chimed in, “Miss, your boyfriend isn’t exaggerating! This dress looks absolutely stunning on you. Your fair skin matches it perfectly…”

As soon as she finished speaking, both Xu Xiuwen and Liu Ruo froze.

A moment later, a hint of awkwardness appeared on their faces.

Liu Ruo immediately lowered her head, blushing.

Xu Xiuwen knew he couldn’t just ignore it, so he took the initiative to explain, “You’ve got it wrong. We’re not a couple—she’s my…”

He hesitated.

Calling her his mother-in-law didn’t seem appropriate.

For one, that wasn’t officially the case yet—just a strong possibility in the future.

More importantly, a young man taking his mother-in-law shopping alone could easily lead to misunderstandings, especially since she was still so young and beautiful.

So, Xu Xiuwen quickly changed his words: “She’s my sister.”

Liu Ruo was slightly surprised by his explanation, but she didn’t deny it or say anything else.

It was essentially a silent agreement.

The saleswoman, still smiling, said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, Miss. I must have misjudged! You just look so young—I couldn’t tell you were his sister. But really, this dress is perfect for you…”

Xu Xiuwen thought to himself: Liu Ruo does look younger than people her age, but no matter how you look at it, there’s no way we seem like peers. You sell clothes for a living—how could you misjudge so badly?

Still, he understood that the saleswoman was just trying to be polite, so he didn’t call her out on it.

Meanwhile, Liu Ruo, though slightly embarrassed and blushing from the misunderstanding, wasn’t upset.

In fact, deep down, she felt a hint of happiness.

After all, who wouldn’t want to be seen as younger? No one likes being thought of as old.

She immediately believed his explanation.

At that moment, Xu Xiuwen said, “We’ll take this dress. Try on some others.”

Liu Ruo then tried on a few more outfits.

Xu Xiuwen thought they all looked great, so he bought them all.

He handed his bank card to the saleswoman and said, “I’ll take all of them. Go ahead and charge it.”

The saleswoman’s smile was as bright as a blooming flower.

She took the card with both hands and said, “Of course, sir.”

Xu Xiuwen then turned to Liu Ruo and said, “Auntie, you should change back into the first floral dress.”

Liu Ruo stood still.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Xiuwen asked.

“Xiao Xu, you’re buying me so many clothes… I feel bad about it,” Liu Ruo said.

Xu Xiuwen laughed. “Haha, what’s there to feel bad about? You’re my elder—just think of it as me showing some filial respect in advance. Don’t overthink it. Hurry up and change. Also, bring out the clothes you were wearing earlier and have the staff pack them up.”

Liu Ruo was dazed for a moment.

Then, without saying anything else, she turned and walked into the fitting room.

She quickly changed back into the blue floral dress.

Xu Xiuwen accompanied her to the checkout counter with their selections.

The saleswoman processed the payment quickly, finishing in no time.

As she returned the bank card to Xu Xiuwen, she said with a smile, “Miss, your little brother is so good to you. I’m honestly jealous.”

Being mistaken as Xu Xiuwen’s sister made Liu Ruo blush again.

But she didn’t correct her.

She simply let it slide.

Soon, the saleswoman finished packing everything up.

Xu Xiuwen took the shopping bags and led Liu Ruo out of the store.

After leaving the store, Xu Xiuwen walked straight into another women’s clothing shop next door.

Seeing this, Liu Ruo quickly said, “Xiao Xu, I already have enough to wear. There’s no need to buy more.”

Xu Xiuwen replied, “It’s fine. Since we’re shopping, we might as well get everything at once. The season’s changing soon, so having extra clothes won’t hurt. Besides, these are just bulk-sale cheap clothes—nothing expensive.”

In reality, neither of the two stores they had visited were budget-friendly. Both were well-known high-end brands.

But Liu Ruo didn’t recognize brands.

Hearing Xu Xiuwen say that, she believed him.

So, Xu Xiuwen picked out a few more outfits for her—some for summer and some new autumn styles.

Afterward, they went to a shoe store.

Once they were done with clothes and shoes, Xu Xiuwen took Liu Ruo to a lingerie store to buy underwear.

He had accompanied his girlfriend lingerie shopping before.

But Liu Ruo wasn’t his girlfriend.

So, Xu Xiuwen didn’t go in with her. He simply gave instructions to the saleswoman and then sat in the waiting area.

As a result, without Xu Xiuwen’s insistence, Liu Ruo took her time picking and only chose the cheapest set of underwear.

One set wasn’t even enough for regular washing and changing.

Xu Xiuwen had no choice but to push past his awkwardness and help pick out more.

If Liu Ruo had been his girlfriend, he might have chosen some sexier lingerie for her.

But since she was his elder, he opted for more modest styles.

Then, he asked the saleswoman to get two sets of each style in Liu Ruo’s size.

Liu Ruo panicked instantly. “Xiao Xu, no! This is too expensive.”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled and said, “It’s not expensive. Each set is only a few dozen yuan.”

During their shopping trip, Xu Xiuwen had already noticed something—

Liu Ruo never checked the price tags.

So, every time she asked about the price, he just made something up.

But this time.

Liu Ruo didn’t believe him. Instead, she looked at him and said, “Xiao Xu, stop trying to fool me. I know these clothes are expensive. This one is 199 yuan—I can understand the prices now.”

Xu Xiuwen shot a glare at the saleswoman beside them.

No need to ask—she must have told her.

The saleswoman looked embarrassed.

She had already noticed that Xu Xiuwen was intentionally hiding the real prices from Liu Ruo.

On one hand, she thought Liu Ruo was quite naive, not even knowing how to check prices.

On the other hand, she was envious—how nice it must be to have a man willing to spend so much money on her.

Xu Xiuwen’s mind worked fast, and he quickly said, “That’s just the factory price. The actual selling price is much lower after discounts. If you don’t believe me, ask the saleswoman—after discounts, isn’t it just a few dozen yuan?”

The saleswoman reacted quickly this time and immediately went along with his words. “Yes, miss, that’s right. After discounts, it’s much cheaper. All stores are like this now—if they don’t offer discounts, no one buys.”

Liu Ruo was still doubtful. “Really?”

Xu Xiuwen smiled. “Of course. Why would I lie to you?”

Thinking it over, Liu Ruo figured he had no reason to deceive her, so she said, “Alright… but tell me how much we spent today. Once I start working and earn money, I’ll pay you back.”

“Sure,” Xu Xiuwen replied.

Then, he turned back and picked a few more sets of lingerie, telling the saleswoman to get two of each.

Now, there were over a dozen pieces—plenty.

Xu Xiuwen felt that was enough.

He turned to the saleswoman and said, “Alright, that’s all. Go ahead and ring it up.”

Handing her his bank card, he waited.

Soon, the saleswoman returned with the packed lingerie in a shopping bag.

Xu Xiuwen took the bag, called over a slightly dazed Liu Ruo, and continued shopping.

He was starting to think he might have a spending addiction.

Once he started spending money, he found it hard to stop—

Even though the woman beside him wasn’t his girlfriend, but his future mother-in-law.

Liu Ruo had tried to stop him countless times.

But Xu Xiuwen remained firm and refused to listen.

So, in the end, this shopping trip cost him tens of thousands of yuan.

They bought so much stuff that the two of them, with four hands combined, couldn’t carry it all.

Finally, the store employees helped them move all the shopping bags to the car.

Xu Xiuwen thanked them as he watched them leave.

At that moment, he turned his gaze toward Liu Ruo.

She was now dressed in the blue floral dress, paired with black Mary Jane leather shoes.

Dressed like this, she didn’t look like the mother of two girls at all.

Nor did she look like someone who had lived in a poor village for over twenty years.

She had that cool, distant aura—something only seen in novel heroines.

But at the same time, her facial features and expression were incredibly gentle.

If Xu Xiuwen had a smartphone in his hand right now, just one casual photo of her would be good enough for a wallpaper.

But there was a slight flaw.

He studied her carefully and finally figured out what it was.

It was her hairstyle.

Liu Ruo’s current hairstyle had no bangs; all her hair was swept back, and her long hair was neatly coiled into a bun at the back.

If she were still in Liu Family Village, it wouldn’t matter.

But here, in the bustling city of Jinling—

It looked a bit out of place.

Especially since it didn’t quite match her stylish clothes and shoes.

With that in mind.

Xu Xiuwen said to Liu Ruo, “Auntie, come with me. I’ll take you somewhere.”

Liu Ruo was stunned for a moment and asked, “We’re not buying more things, are we? If we are, I’m not going.”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s not for clothes.”

Hearing that, Liu Ruo let out a sigh of relief.

She had already decided that once she started making money, she would repay every cent Xu Xiuwen had spent on her today.

Even though he hadn’t told her the total amount, adding up all those ‘just a few dozen yuan’ purchases, it was definitely not a small sum.

She was already heartbroken over how much he had spent.

So when she heard they weren’t buying clothes, she relaxed.

But soon, she realized she had sighed in relief too soon.

Xu Xiuwen led her to a hair salon.

As soon as they entered, he went straight to the salon owner and asked him to give Liu Ruo a new hairstyle.

The owner glanced at Liu Ruo, nodded with a smile, and assured him, “Leave it to me.”

Xu Xiuwen then turned to Liu Ruo and said, “Auntie, I’ll wait for you outside.”

Before she could refuse, he turned and walked out.

Liu Ruo was stunned for a second.

By the time she snapped back to reality, the salon owner had already led her to the mirror.

This time, the wait was even longer than their shopping trip.

Xu Xiuwen sat outside and waited for a full three hours.

When he saw Liu Ruo again—

It was as if she had transformed into a completely different person.

Xu Xiuwen hadn’t specified any particular style, leaving it up to the salon owner to decide.

And the result—

A middle-parted curtain bang style paired with voluminous, wavy curls.

The moment Xu Xiuwen saw it, his eyes lit up.

The loose waves and soft curtain bangs made Liu Ruo look incredibly feminine.

And the anti-aging effect was undeniable.

Now, she looked at most thirty years old.

Elegant, stylish, and carrying an indescribable charm—she was the kind of beauty one could never get tired of looking at.

Xu Xiuwen hadn’t expected that simply changing her hairstyle would make Liu Ruo look so youthful and refined.

He was surprised, but more than that—he was satisfied.

Liu Ruo, on the other hand, seemed a little flustered.

She had already seen her reflection in the mirror—

And she barely recognized herself.

But she shared the same thought as Xu Xiuwen:

She really did look good like this.

Xu Xiuwen was never one to be stingy with compliments.

He immediately said, “Auntie, you look amazing! So elegant—you could totally pass for a beautiful, mature older sister.”

Liu Ruo flushed with embarrassment. “Xiao Xu, don’t say things like that.”

Seeing that she wasn’t used to such direct praise, Xu Xiuwen nodded and dropped the subject.

Then, he asked Liu Ruo to step outside while he stayed behind to pay.

Her hairstyle had cost over a thousand yuan—

A little pricey, but worth every penny.

Xu Xiuwen pulled out his wallet and paid.

The salon owner looked at him, grinning. “Bro, you’ve got great taste. Where’d you find such a gem? That figure, that face—absolutely stunning.”

Xu Xiuwen froze.

Then, realizing what the guy meant, he quickly explained, “You’ve got it all wrong. We’re not… that kind of relationship.”

The salon owner chuckled. “Come on, man, no need to hide it. Liking married women isn’t a crime. I’m into them too—just never met one as perfect as yours. You’re one lucky guy.”

Seeing that further explanation would be pointless, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore.

He simply paid the bill, turned around, and left.

Outside, Liu Ruo was waiting.

Under the gazes of passing pedestrians, she looked uneasy, nervous, and a little flustered.

Xu Xiuwen thought for a moment and quickly understood why.

He suddenly chuckled and said, “Auntie, do something for me.”

As he spoke, he demonstrated a classic hair-flipping motion—one often seen in 90s Hong Kong films.

Liu Ruo didn’t understand his intent, but she still followed his lead.

Under Xu Xiuwen’s gaze, she lifted a hand, ran her fingers through her silky hair, and swept it back.

The afternoon sunlight streamed down from the rooftops of the buildings across the street, landing softly on Liu Ruo.

At that moment—

Xu Xiuwen seemed to catch glimpses of several iconic 90s Hong Kong actresses he had always admired.

She was breathtaking.

For a moment, he was completely mesmerized.

This time, he didn’t utter a single word of praise.

But Liu Ruo understood everything just by looking at his expression.

And just like that, her nervousness and unease began to fade away.